In The Name of The Father
by darke-magick
Summary: The bonds between them may be thicker than blood, but conflicting ideals and betrayals can drive apart even the best of friends. A story about the four founders, from their first meeting, to the departure of Salazar.
1. Default Chapter

**In The Name of The Father**

_By darkemagick_

_The bonds between them may be thicker than blood, but conflicting ideals and betrayals can drive apart even the best of friends. A story about the four founders, from their first meeting, to the departure of Salazar. Godric and Salazar will sacrifice their friendship for pride; and Rowena's unrequited love for Godric will drive Helga apart. _

**Acknowledgement and credits:**

In writing this fanfiction, I have made use of many Arthurian references – Morgana le Fay, Vivian, Avalon and Merlin will be written into the story; and the book that I have been most inspired by is **The Mists of Avalon **by Marion Zimmer Bradley. These characters belong to literacy texts – I do not own them,

Same goes for the four founders and the wizarding world – Rowling owns it all, and I am not profiting from this. Not at all.

And so, enjoy. )

PS: And yes; I am looking for a beta-reader. If you are interested, please drop me a comment or email me. Thanks!


	2. Prologue: Things Fall Apart

**In the Name of the Father**

**Prologue: Things Fall Apart**

"No!"

Helga caught Rowena by the arm to prevent her from stepping into the tower. A wizard's duel was a dangerous affair, especially when the wizards were powerful ones. With Godric and Salazar, the spells they were casting were more than dangerous – they were potentially fatal.

"Helga, how can you stand by and do nothing?" Rowena asked desperately, looking at her. "They will _kill_ each other."

Helga wanted badly to stop them as well, but stepping into the middle of the duel was not the answer.

It was easy to stop them, she knew. A simple Freezing Charm, cast on both of them when their attention was elsewhere. A Time Stopping spell. Or even a Laughing Curse.

But she knew, somehow she knew that Godric and Salazar had to fight. It had come too far; their argument and their differences. They needed this fight. Maybe this duel would solve nothing; maybe it would make things worse.

But maybe their conflict will finally reach an end.

"No," Helga said, shaking her head. "Don't stop them."

In front of them a Fire elemental curse exploded in midair, so searing that Rowena could feel its painful heat. Salazar countered with an Ice elemental, the curse almost hitting Godric, but not quite.

"_A_dflictio!"

"Crucio!"

The two curses met and clashed; sparks of green and dark blue rained down on Godric and Salazar, scorching their bare skin.

It wasn't just the curses that were dangerous, Rowena realized. It was their anger. There was so much tension and hatred in the air that she could almost see it. It was that anger that made their spells even more dangerous than usual. Even more potent.

_How long had this duel been going on? _She thought. Wizard duels were famously shorter than their Muggle counterparts – all it took was one good aim and the other wizard would be disarmed, or defeated, or dead.

Rowena looked around the tower room. Parts of the thick stone walls had fallen; the southern wall had completely collapsed, revealing the mountain-top view outside. The floor was a mess of burn marks and cracked plaster. It was only through magical reinforcing that the tower hadn't fallen on them yet.

_All it takes is one good aim._

"Crucio!" Salazar yelled again, and this time his curse reached its target – Godric doubled over, his face clenched in agony.

"Godric!" Rowena and Helga shouted at the same time,

Salazar raised his wand. Rowena could see his grey eyes clearly – there was nothing in them save for anger. She saw his mouth move –

"Avada – "

"No!"

She tore free from Helga's grasp and ran towards Godric.

But before she was even halfway there, Godric raised his hand and shouted, "Fractum!"

There was a loud boom as something luminous green shot out of Godric's wand, hitting Salazar squarely in the chest. The force of the curse was so strong that it threw him bodily across the room, and slammed him hard against the undestroyed northern wall.

Salazar slid to the ground, crumpled, blood on his face and all over his body. His wand laid broken a few feet away.

The duel was over.

So Salazar had lost, the first fight he had ever really lost in his life. His wand had been broken into two – a complete defeat, under the rules of wizard dueling. But as Godric made his way towards Salazar he felt no sense of triumph, no sense of victory.

There was just a sad, almost wretched expression on his face as he extended a hand to help Salazar up.

Salazar pushed his hand away, struggling to his feet. There was blood on his mouth and his face was tarnished with soot and cuts, but his eyes were furious. Rowena knew, though, that the biggest injury to him was his pride. Salazar had never lost before.

He bent down to retrieve his wand, almost falling over.

Rowena went to help him up but he pushed her away roughly.

"No… no. I don't need any of your pity now," he said, his voice shaking. And he started towards the exit.

"Salazar…" Helga started to say, but he fixed her with a warning glare.

"I'm leaving the school," he said, looking at the three of them. "You hear me? I am leaving Hogwarts. You can fill this school with all the Mudbloods and the Muggleborns you want. I am part of Hogwarts no more."

* * *

Godric is alone in the destroyed tower room, and Godric is thinking about the first time he met Salazar Slytherin. How long ago was it? Ten years? Maybe longer. He can still remember it in his mind: a wizard's funfair, held in the safety of a magically hidden field. It was a perfect day, bright and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky.

They sold many curios and magical artifacts in the fair, from magical glass prisms to love potions. Winged horses and dragon eggs were also peddled, as well as pets like Nifflers and Puffskeins. Then there were the obligatory fortunetellers, who knew every way of divination there were, and perhaps a few imagined ones.

And of course there were games and tournaments held, from broom races to tenpin bowling. As Godric strolled past a fenced area he heard the sound of swords clashing and stopped to look – a Muggle sport, in a wizard's fair?

He was not surprised, truth be told. In the brief reign of King Arthur wizards fought secretly alongside Muggles; witches like Vivian and Morgan le Fay used magic – all for one common cause, to see the unification of chaos-ridden Britain.

So wizards grew to have affection for swordplay, even though many preferred the instantaneous results of spells. The feel of something heavy and solid in one's palm, to wield a sword well –

But the wizards paring in the field were clumsy, their moves ungraceful, the swords used incorrectly.

_They are amateurs, _Godric thought to himself, _Have they ever handled a sword before? _

And he decided to join the tournament.

The first few rounds were surprisingly hard. What his opponents lacked in skill they made up for it in strength, and Godric had to be alert to avoid their thrusts. But though sheer determination (and perhaps a few lucky feints) he defeated them all.

Then came Salazar, and Godric knew he had met his match in the tall, boyish-looking man standing before him. Salazar held a sword like it was part of his hand; and though he was obviously new to the art of sparring, he learnt fast.

_And _Salazar was a natural. Whenever Godric lunged he leaped back. He saw through Godric's every feint. He avoided Godric's every thrust. Salazar moved as if he could read Godric's mind, anticipate his every move.

When finally Godric got impatient, that was when Salazar struck. He feinted to his left – Godric turned – he lunged at Godric's exposed neck –

Godric fell to the ground, the tip of Salazar's wooden sword at his neck. The crowd whooped and clapped, and Salazar withdrew, extending a hand to Godric. He took it, though feeling a little bruised in his ego.

He got his first real look at Salazar Slytherin then – raven-black hair that curled around his nape, piercing grey eyes, and very pale skin. Godric judged him to be around twenty and a half.

Salazar smiled, but Godric was surprised by what he did next – he bowed to him, before straightening. Winners of these sparring _never_ bowed – it was always the loser who did so, symbolizing respect and reverence to the winner.

And if Salazar had bowed to him?

"You are the best swordsman I have ever had the honour to meet," Salazar explained, smiling. "I've always thought I will meet my match in someone from Merlin's army, or perhaps a Muggle knight of the kingdom. I never thought I'll meet him in a fair."

* * *

And that was how they met. In a duel.

Now it seemed as if their friendship was going to end with a duel too.

Godric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _No; surely our friendship's stronger than that, _he thought to himself. And then he threw down his wand and ran down towards the stables.

* * *

Salazar unhinged Freond's stall and looped a rope around her neck. The black horse lifted her head, obviously surprised to be disturbed so late into the night.

"Sorry Freond," Salazar said as he pulled her out. "But you will have to forsake your sleep tonight."

There was a throbbing pain in his chest where the curse had hit him, but it was nothing compared to his dismay.

He had lost.

Godric had never been able to defeat him before. Never, not in the first sword sparring in the fair where they met, not in the various times they have dueled for leisure. But tonight he had tasted humiliation at Godric's feet, felt the bitter edge of losing. A tiny voice said stubbornly in his head, _never; you could not have lost; it is impossible… _but the pain in his chest, where the spell had hit, was all too real.

And with that defeat Salazar lost more than pride – he was going to lose Hogwarts.

When he had built the school alongside the three of his friends, he had a vision of what Hogwarts would be. A refuge, a place where his kind could study the intricacies and mystery of magic without fear of being persecuted. To be accused of blasphemy and evilness by a church arrogant enough to claim all religions that was not theirs were Satan's work.

And now? Muggleborns were going to taint that place; they were going to bring in their customs and superstitions…

And sooner or later there will be a betrayer. Someone who would betray the secret of Hogwarts to the rest of the Muggles. Then, another massacre will happen.

He laid the saddle on Freond's back, and the horse neighed softly. She knew that her master was upset, and bent her head towards Salazar. Salazar patted the horse, not trusting himself to speak.

"Salazar."

His head whipped around. Godric was approaching him, his haphazard appearance telling him that Godric hadn't even bothered to clean up after their duel.

"Why are you here?" Salazar asked, glaring at him. He tried to summon the anger that had flooded him just now; but all he could feel was tiredness.

There was regret too, regret that he had to part from Godric on such bitter terms. Once he would trust Godric with his life; he still would.

Godric stopped a few feet away from Salazar.

"Don't leave," he said quietly. "Don't let the fate of Hogwarts decree our friendship."

Salazar gave a harsh laugh, wondering if Godric could see past his façade to detect his despair. He _didn't _want to leave Hogwarts. He _didn't _want to leave his friends – no, they were more than friends, they were _family. _

But pride and loyalty made bitter enemies. Salazar knew he would not be able to stay. Each time he meet Godric's eyes in the hallways he would think of his defeat in the tower room. Each time he sees Muggleborns and Mudbloods tainting his school, he will be reminded of how his friends took the opposite side from him; how they refused to see things from his point of view.

"You know how proud I am," Salazar said. "I can't stay knowing that I have suffered a rousing defeat at your feet."

"Does our friendship count for nothing?" he questioned. "It has always been the four of us, Sal. You, me, Helga and Rowena. The Hogwarts Four is nothing without you."

"The Hogwarts Four is already gone, Godric," Salazar replied tiredly. "Rowena's loyalty is tied to you and Helga always takes the side of her best friend. It's just the Hogwarts One now."

"No, that is not true."

"Yes it is, and let's not delude ourselves, shall we?" Salazar said. He turned back to Freond, and hooked a bundle to the horse's back. A Collapsing Charm had reduced his entire belongings into that bundle, though it did felt rather heavy.

There was a pause.

"Then you should know," Godric said quietly. "You should know that I have always valued your opinion. You are important to me."

Salazar wanted very much not to leave. He loved Hogwarts with a fierce kind of affection, enjoyed the scrapes and scuffles that his wizards and witches got into everyday; the little dramas and stories that occurred. But as he thought about the Hogwarts he had built being overrun by Mudbloods – _fools, barbarians, they will destroy Hogwarts and everything in it – _

"I can't stay," Salazar said, turning back to Freond.

"Why are you so stubborn?" Godric demanded, grabbing Salazar by the shoulders. "Not all Muggles are as awful as you think they are – "

"Were you there, Godric?" Salazar interrupted. "Were you there when Muggles massacred my family? Were you there to see my mother, my _mother _who had never been anything but pious, hanged and stoned in the village square, called a witch, a whore and a harlot? Were you there when the Muggles tortured my father, because he dared use magic in front of them to protect his family? Did you see how he struggled to stand after the Muggles crippled him? Were you there when my sister was thrown to the ground to be violated by a group of ruthless men, and when she was sobbing to herself later, were you there to see the men beat her to her death?"

Godric's eyes widened – he knew of Salazar's family tragedy but Salazar had always kept quiet about the details. And Godric had never pushed Salazar to tell him.

"You have always lived a sheltered life, Godric," Salazar continued. "You don't understand that Muggles were the sort of people who would force their beliefs on others. Who would fight wars and kill entire families because they believed in another faith."

Godric released Salazar slowly, taking a step back. He said, slowly, uncertainly, "Not all Muggles are like that – "

"You can cling on to your ideals, Gryffindor," Salazar said. "You can continue to believe that Muggles and wizards can exist peacefully side-by-side, that their church will eventually accept us. But you don't live in a perfect world, Godric, and your ideals will remain that – ideals, not reality. I just hope that when that happens, you won't be disappointed."

Salazar mounted the horse and jerked the reins. "Let's go, Freond."

"Salazar!" Godric shouted. He wanted to grab another horse, make him come back –

"You always said I was stubborn," Salazar cut in softly, and Godric stopped. "I won't change my mind."

For a moment Godric did not answer. "You are insufferable," he whispered.

There was a ghost of a smile on Salazar's face. "Take care of Hogwarts for me, Godric."

"I will," he replied, a lump in his throat.

Like that, Salazar was gone. A figure on a solitary horse, galloping away into the mists of the moor. Godric stared fiercely into the distance until his eyes began to water – he did not know if it was because of the wind stinging his eyes, or because he was crying.

* * *

Later that night, after Helga and her had restored the tower room Rowena had a terrible dream. 

There was an emerald snake on the grassy ground; its scales shining in the light, and it was sliding swiftly along the forest floor, when with a loud shriek a raven dropped from the sky and grabbed the creature, pinning it to the ground in a fury of wings.

And all of a sudden a badger appeared; and a lion; and the three animals tore at the snake as it struggled to get away. At last they moved away, and Rowena saw that where the snake should be there was a man; it was Salazar, and he was dead, lying in a pool of red.

_No, _Rowena thought in panic and anguish, _not you, Salazar. _She loved him as a friend; she knew Helga and Godric did too; there was no reason for the three of them to turn on Slytherin that way.

From Salazar's body another snake emerged, and this snake was pure black. It seemed to Rowena that this snake glanced at her with a human hatred that looked unholy in a snake's animal eyes; it slithered away under a rock, and though Rowena tried to find it, it was gone.

"Rowena."

She heard the voice and turned around. Someone was standing in front of her. Her hair was utterly silver, but despite that her face was unlined, and her features sharply beautiful. Even from just looking at her, Rowena knew that this woman was very old.

Rowena had seen her before, back in Avalon when she was training to be a priestess of magic.

Morgana le Fay, one of the most powerful sorceress of the world.

Her infamy was well known. Once wizards had meddled in Muggle affairs – Vivian, Lady of the Lake, had created the Excalibur sword and set King Arthur on his throne; and for a while Britain was peaceful. But when Guinevere failed to produce an heir and the wizarding world feared that Britain would fall into chaos again, Morgana le Fay had seduced Arthur and produced a son.

The wizarding world had rejoiced; but their happiness was temporary. For Mordred was far too ambitious, wanting the throne for himself before Arthur was dead. Father and son had fought each other in one last battle in Camlann – and King Arthur was killed in the end.

Britain had fell into chaos; and the glorious reign of King Arthur ended. It was the last time wizards ever sought to influence Muggle monarchy.

"Morgana," Rowena said, bowing before her.

"Rowena Ravenclaw," Morgana said, walking to her. Rowena felt a sudden dread.

"It seems to me that your circle is broken," she said. "A former friend had been banished from your school."

"Salazar was not banished," Rowena cried out. "We never wished for it to happened this way – "

"But it did," Morgana said. "And with Slytherin's departure, you have set the wheels of fate turning."

"What do you mean?"

"The circle of trust and friendship has been broken. When once the four houses would have worked together in harmony; there will be discord and rife among your houses now. Slytherin will be a house apart. And one day, in the distant future, an heir of Slytherin will drive the wedge between the houses further."

Rowena was shaking her head. "No; it can't be. The four houses… united…"

"This is a price you have to pay, Ravenclaw," Morgana said gently, taking her hands. "I have told you before that the greatest gift I could give Hogwarts was the blessing of harmony. But this blessing is reinforced by the camaraderie between the four of you, and so when Salazar left this blessing faded away. I cannot remedy that any more than I could revive the dead. "

"No, no – "

"Goodbye, Rowena," Morgana said as she walked away. Rowena tried to hold on to her but her fingers only grasped at empty air.

And she was being pulled back... pulled back into her chamber in Hogwarts, and she sat up in the bed gasping, holding the fur coverlet to her chest.

She tried to remember what caused her to wake up; but the nightmare was ebbing away, as elusive and as insubstantial as fog in the morning. All she could remember was the despair and the sadness in her nightmare, and the echo of someone's voice, and her warning.

_Once upon a time, there were four of us._


End file.
